how to make a curtain rod {galvanized}

This post is about how to make a curtain rod with a galvanized pipe from Home Depot that will not rust outside. Update June 2019.

We recently shared our covered porch makeover featuring our DIY curtain rod. I wasn’t sure I wanted to learn how to make a curtain rod but when I realized that the one I wanted was over $200, I decided it was time to make my own.

Outdoor curtain rods need to be weather resistant and rust proof.

Who would have thought that a galvanized electrical pipe would do the trick! This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.

How to make curtain rods out of pipe {galvanized}

Many curtain rod tutorials use plumbers pipe with plumbing fasteners.

I chose galvanized electrical pipe and eye hooks, mainly because the electrical pipe was half the cost and I could cut the electrical pipe myself.

DIY Outdoor Curtain Rod

I purchased two 1″ galvanized electrical pipes.

They were each 10′ long.

I needed my rod to be 11′ and 2″ so in order to make the rod look proportioned, I decided to cut two feet off each end of one rod and use the second rod along with 1″ compression couplings (in the same aisle as the electrical pipe) to join the rods together.

I purchased my pipe at Home Depot and the longest pipe they had was 10′ so I had no choice but to add a second pipe in order to get my desired length.

I cut the pipe with a hacksaw.

The blade was a bit dull but it only took about 5 minutes to cut. It’s fairly easy.

Next, I used compression couplings to fasten the pipes together. They actually are very industrial looking and visually appealing.

The compression coupling has a ring inside that compresses the pipes together once screwed tightly.

Slide the end piece, ring and grooved end on the pipe.

If you are adding pipe (I needed to make mine longer) you will now add your second compression coupling to the second pipe and screw the two together.

This project caused me a bit of a headache but once I figured out how to add the compression couplings, it was smooth sailing. The DIY curtain rod was a breeze from this point forward.

I used large eye hooks that I screwed into the side of the deck wall as rod hangers.

How to make a curtain rod for $20

The galvanized curtain rod was the perfect inexpensive solution to adding outdoor curtains to our covered porch. I love mixing industrial styled decor with a modern cottage theme. You can buy this outdoor rod that is on clearance if you do not want to make your own. It’s under $100!

The galvanized pipe and compression couplings added that industrial touch I was going after.

The blue pillows are from HomeGoods and I love how the coordinate with the tan cushions.

This is an older set but this set is similar and if you have a bigger budget, this set comes in a ton of colors and is gorgeous!

The curtains are from Wayfair and so affordable! They also come in a lot of different colors. I prefered sheer curtains but they also have sun blocking curtains as well that are a little more pricey but if you need to block the sun in order to enjoy your outdoor space, they are worth it.

If you think about it, how to make a curtain rod isn’t that difficult. Now that I know that electrical pipe works as a perfect curtain rod solution, I am considering making another one for our pool house makeover.

This project cost under $20. A far cry from the $200 one that I wanted and I think it looks just as good! Has anyone made their own curtain rod before? Do tell in the comments, I would love to hear other economical ideas and solutions for hanging outdoor drapery.

I've never used galvanized pipe before for curtain rods, but I have used both large wooden dowels and PVC pipe as curtain rods. Both are easy to paint, although I would recommend the PVC for outdoor use rather than the wood. But I really like the galvanized pipe for the industrial look and I'll bet with "elbow joints" you could have made it go continuously all the way around your entire porch.

Looks like this would be perfect for my dining room, in front of the sliding glass door. Doesn't seem like it would droop in the middle without a bracket. I want a one piece curtain that just opens from one side, but hubby insisted we needed a bracket in the middle with our last curtain rod. I ended up taking the old drapes down because our 2 year old monkey hung on them and pulled one side out of the wall :(

Great idea..In a previous post, I asked you if you had used tension rods to hold the sheers. Ignore that question. Don't laugh but when we moved to this house 8 years ago, the master bedroom has a galvanized pipe clothes pole. Guess the previous owner had a lot of clothes. We have left it up but I laugh every time the closet door is open and I have to look at that. The orginal owner had to think of that, I don't think his son who inherited the house would have come up with that idea.

This is a great idea! If you are looking for a natural look, I used large (about 1 1/2 inch diameter) bamboo for tab top curtains in my bathroom. It is green when you cut it but dries to a more neutral golden tan color.

This is such a great DIY project. Curtain rods that are long enough and strong enough are expensive, and this is such a great alternative. I featured your post on Friday Finds today. Thanks so much for sharing, and have a great weekend!

I love your idea. You didn't mention if they are heavy, I wil check it out.. We've used bamboo, pvc piping, dowels, even rebar once. its very thin strong, and easy to cut, but it can droop if you dont place enuff supports. I love your cottage porch.

Your porch looks lovely! I'm getting ready to do something similar in our covered porch and was considering using either conduit or dowels. I do have one question Jessica...you said you cut two feet off each end of one pipe to make things proportional. I'm a bit confused about that. Why would two feet off each end be any different than four feet off one end?

Hi! Because when you use the couplings to attach, I wanted the compression couplings to be even on each side. If I cut four feet off one end (yes this would have been much easier) I would have only had to use one compression coupling (the piece I used to attach the pipes) and it would have looked funny with one coupling at the end. Does that make sense?